Siegfried Balke

He financed the rise of the young Franz Josef Strauss as a lobbyist and the election campaigns of the CSU, was one of the longest-serving ministers under Konrad Adenauer, laid the foundations of the German nuclear industry, led the Federal Association of German Employers' Associations for many years, and yet is hardly more than a footnote in contemporary historical research: Siegfried Balke. His rare dual career in business and politics promises equally insightful and exciting findings about the benefits of an elite rotating between neighboring societal sectors, as well as the challenges faced by a political amateur among professionals. How did the political elite react to the exotic newcomer? Did Balke remain inexperienced in politics, or did he professionalize himself? To what extent did he fulfill the promise of improved political decision-making quality?.